President Lee, Jensen Huang toast 'We are family' at San Francisco AI leaders' meeting

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung convened a high-profile dinner in San Francisco with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and other leading figures in the global artificial intelligence sector. The gathering, held at The Ramp restaurant, drew parallels to a notable "Kkanbu" (close friend) meeting that took place in South Korea the previous October, which also included Huang alongside Samsung's Lee Jae-yong and Hyundai's Chung Eui-sun.

“

In our country, people we call family are called 'Sikgu.' Sikgu are people who eat meals together.

Attendees at the San Francisco dinner included prominent tech executives such as Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan. Also present were key South Korean business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. Government officials, including Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Yong-beom and Deputy Prime Minister for Science and ICT Baek Kyung-hoon, also joined the discussion.

The atmosphere was reportedly convivial, with participants sharing casual conversation and toasts over bottled beers. President Lee Jae-myung engaged in lighthearted banter with Huang, referencing the previous "Kkanbu Chicken" meeting. The menu featured local Californian cuisine, including fish and chips, calamari, crab cakes, and clam chowder.

“

We are!

During the gathering, President Lee proposed a toast using the Korean term "Sikgu," which translates to "family" and implies sharing meals together. He invited the attendees to respond with "Sikgu" after he said, "We are." This gesture was met with enthusiasm, with attendees raising their bottles in a unified "We are Sikgu!" Huang remarked on South Korea's economic prosperity, noting "Korea so rich," and expressed gratitude for the tech industry's contribution to the nation's projected GDP growth of over 3% for the year. The president responded, "Thanks to you."

“

Thanks to you.